


Always There to Fix You

by MarieBoheme



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, F/M, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:55:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26274469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarieBoheme/pseuds/MarieBoheme
Summary: Felix doesn't quite understand why Annette is always fussing over him, helping tend to his wounds after battle. But he knows he doesn't quite mind it - not like he does when it's someone else. Written for the 2020 Felannie Minibang.
Relationships: Annette Fantine Dominic/Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Comments: 10
Kudos: 69
Collections: Felannie Mini Bang 2020





	Always There to Fix You

**Author's Note:**

> I'm really excited to finally be able to share my piece for the Felannie Mini Bang! I have fallen hard for this ship over these last few months, and writing them was so much. I hope I'll be able to tackle their dynamic again in the future.
> 
> I worked with [smallestbrown](https://twitter.com/smallestbrown/status/1301863347290341377?s=20) for this collaboration, so make sure you check out the accompanying art she made for this fic!

“I’m fine,” Felix grumbled, his tone too close to a whine for his own comfort as he was dragged to a nearby clearing against his will, trying unsuccessfully to free himself from the grip that the Professor had on his forearm. How was she _this_ strong? Was she taking lessons from the boar? “I barely got hit. It can wait until we get back to the monastery.”

His assertions did nothing to appease his instructor. “We won’t be leaving this village until everyone who got injured gets looked at. That includes you, Felix.”

The injured, it turned out, included almost all members of the Blue Lions’ frontline as well as several of Jeralt’s men. Mercedes was already busy tending to minor wounds sustained by Ashe, Ingrid, and Sylvain, the latter way too comfortable with having the attention of his female classmate.

The boar was pacing frantically behind them, deep in thought and oblivious or unaffected by the blood that was staining through his light armor at the shoulder. The Professor seemed to take notice of this, her line of sight narrowing on him as she let out a deep sigh. “I’m going to see who else needs help. Now, sit here and don’t budge.”

She motioned to a boulder; Felix opened his mouth, the start of a protest on his lips, but quickly abandoned the notion at the intense look on her face. He would give in to her uncharacteristic coddling _this_ time. If anything, so they could leave this godforsaken village as soon as possible. He nodded at her sourly, begrudgingly taking a seat at the boulder edge and fighting the urge to complain about being treated like a small child.

She seemed relieved as her eyes scanned around them, settling on one bustling, tiny figure. “Annette!”

The redheaded girl instantly sprang to attention at her teacher’s voice. “Yes, Professor? What can I do to help?” Felix nearly rolled his eyes at how eager she sounded, even on the battlefield.

“Can you see to Felix’s arm? Make sure to clean it out and do what you can to close the wound. I’ll come back later once I’ve helped the others.”

Annette nodded enthusiastically, seeming to stand up straighter upon being given her task. “You can count on me, Professor!”

Felix said nothing as she approached him, her usual smile plastered on her round face. “Now, what do we have here?” Reluctantly, he held up his right arm to her line of vision, her eyes widening as she took in the cut that ran diagonally across his upper arm, a token from his confrontation with one of the crazed villagers that they had been tasked with putting an end to. “Stay right here, I need to get some supplies from Mercie.”

Once again, he did as he told, staring straight ahead as he waited for her to return. It wasn’t long before he heard her telltale sprint approaching from behind him. He was almost tempted to tell her she would trip if she wasn’t careful, but decided not to, remembering the excessive way she had reacted the last time he had teased her. All over a _song_ of all things.

Annette dropped onto the boulder beside him, a rag and a small jug of liquid in her hands which she delicately placed in her lap. “Do you mind, um...” Her voice trailed off as she gestured to his arm. Felix ignored her awkward demeanor as he removed the bracers, the lower half of his sleeve underneath his armor almost falling right off from where the villager’s sword had pierced the fabric. Annette seemed satisfied, luckily not asking him to remove any additional layers for this nonsense coddling that he was being subjected to.

He continued to stare straight ahead, although he could keep an eye on what Annette was doing in his periphery. After dampening the rag, she placed it against his arm, smoothing away the blood and dirt that had built up there, frowning as she got a better look at his wound. “Oh my, Felix, this is deep.”

“It’s barely a cut,” he responded dryly, resisting the urge to flinch and betray his own words as a twinge of pain ran through his arm as she dragged the rag once more against the laceration. “The Professor is overreacting.”

Annette tutted, wagging a finger at him. “Typical Felix. Can’t even drop the tough guy attitude for one day. But don’t worry, Annette is here to make sure you leave good as new...or well, as much as I can do, considering I haven’t been learning faith magic from Mercie and the Professor for very long...” She looked sheepish as she rambled the last part.

Felix said nothing as she continued to work on him, bringing a hand to hover just above his injury. A warmth tickled his skin as bright light emitted from her fingers, her eyes and nose scrunching up in deep concentration as she focused her magic on closing up his wound. This meant that they sat in silence for several minutes, which suited him just fine. Peace was such a rare commodity since he’d arrived at Garreg Mach. Everyone just liked to talk so damn much–even Ingrid, who he knew felt similarly as him about unnecessary social interactions and the constant gabbing from Sylvain and the other female members of their house. He was sure this was the longest he had been in Annette’s presence without hearing her voice.

“I’m sorry I can’t work any faster,” she said timidly, shaking out her hand before returning it to its place above his arm. He couldn’t help but think her position was rather uncomfortable.

“It’s fine,” he replied curtly. “It’s not like I have anywhere I need to be.”

She smiled slightly at that. “Thank you, Felix. It’s just...I think this whole thing is getting to me. And messing with my concentration.”

Felix held his breath, hoping that she wouldn’t continue. Listening to people’s emotions was not something he ever wanted to be subjected to, and it was definitely not something that he was in any way skilled for. It was something that his childhood friends were more than aware of, but it was a fact that newcomers in his life like Annette were still learning. She didn’t seem to have picked up on his discomfort yet. “I wish we could save everyone, even the villagers who went mad. It’s not their fault. Something took over their minds and made them hurt their friends. And now they’re just gone forever.”

She was frowning now, her arm appearing to tense from where it still hovered above his own. Seeing such despair on Annette’s face, when she usually did her best to remain happy and positive, unnerved him somewhat. He tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling that was growing in his gut at the sight. “Death is an inevitable part of battle. If you can’t handle it, maybe you should rethink whether you’re cut out for the Officers Academy after all.”

The effect his words had on her was clear the second they left his mouth. Her eyes widened as she drew back her arm suddenly, jumping to her feet and smoothing down the fabric of her skirt. “I–I’ll be right back.”

Felix looked over at his arm, noting that his wound had healed for the most part. It seemed like Annette had done a decent job, despite her insistence that she was still merely a beginner. Chances were that he wouldn’t even have a scar in that spot after all was said and done. A pang of unfamiliar guilt washed over him at the callousness of his words as he was reminded of the care that she had put into tending to him. Speaking so bluntly was a habit that he practiced freely with all of his classmates, and even with the Professor at times, and he’d never felt remorse about any of his prior comments. Why should it be different with Annette?

His contemplation was cut short as Annette returned to his side, her cheery attitude from before having faded. She had a long strip of fabric in one hand, remaining silent as she worked it around his arm and over what was left of his wound. “Just in case it starts to bleed again,” she explained, her voice smaller than he was used to. He held himself back from telling her it was unnecessary, just wanting for their interaction to be over.

“All done,” she said with a forced smile, standing up with a small bounce and taking a step back from him. “Now, try to stay out of trouble, Felix. We wouldn’t want you to get attacked by more angry swordsmen, would we?”

“I’ll do my best,” he responded dryly as he also rose to his feet. He couldn’t help the small tug at the corner of his lips as he continued. “Swordsmen are one thing, but I can’t make any promises about _bears_ or _swamp beasties_.”

At his remark, Annette let out a sound that could be described as a squawk, instantly clamping her hands over her mouth before running off. He just caught the sight of the tips of her ears reddening as she scampered outside his field of vision. In the distance, he saw Sylvain and Ingrid shoot him inquisitive looks at the exchange, but he paid them no mind.

 _That girl is too easy to torment_ , he thought to himself. Looking over at the makeshift bandage that had been wrapped so meticulously around his upper arm, he fought the urge to smile.

Then, another fleeting thought crossed his mind: _And just why do I enjoy it so much?_

* * *

The monastery was quiet.

While Felix usually preferred silence, this was not a comfortable quiet. Rather, it was a quiet which had been brought on by an entire community in shock, still reeling from what had transpired in the Holy Tomb just hours earlier.

_I will rip that head from your shoulders–and hang it on the gates of Enbarr!_

Felix’s hand tightened into a fist as he recalled the way Dimitri had become unhinged at the revelation that Edelgard had been masquerading as the Flame Emperor. While he’d always known that a much more violent and tormented persona lay under the surface of the crown prince’s usual poise, it had still been a shock to him to see it come out the way it had. Not even the Professor had been able to calm him. And he usually followed her around like a puppy dog, hanging onto her every word. If even she couldn’t reach him this time...he didn’t want to think about what that meant for not only the prince but the kingdom.

While most of his class was huddled in their classroom, trying to make sense of what had happened and the next steps they’d need to take, Felix had instead opted to roam the monastery grounds to clear his head. Usually, he’d try to accomplish this with a training session, but that plan had quickly gone out the window. At the first swing of his sword, he’d been blinded by an intense pain at his side from where he’d sustained magic damage when he and Sylvain had taken down a demonic beast in the holy tomb. He’d ignored both the Professor and Ingrid’s orders to report straight to the infirmary after the skirmish, not wanting to deal with the injured students and faculty that had already crowded there. Even more so, he didn’t want to deal with Sylvain’s shameless flirting with the female healers. The polar opposite of Felix, his idiotic friend tended to exaggerate his injuries for female attention.

No, he’d consider going to the infirmary the next morning if he was still in pain. Most of its visitors would have cleared out by then.

Besides, he much preferred the stillness of his current haunt: the clearing outside the first floor of the dormitories. Not a single soul was around, either meandering somewhere else in the monastery or having retired to their room for an early night (or in Bernadetta’s case, hiding out).

Well, maybe make that one soul. As he traversed the lower level of the dormitories, he noticed one door that still slightly ajar, candlelight peeking out through the cracks. It seemed that Annette was burning the midnight oil. Typical. Even the onset of a continent-wide war wasn’t enough to deter the girl from working herself into the ground.

Sure enough, as he passed in front of her door, he could hear her angry mumbling coming from within. For a moment, he paused his stride, contemplating whether he should check up on her. If even he was rattled, he could only imagine the impact the night’s events were having on his much more sensitive classmate.

The thought only lasted for a moment, however. He highly doubted there was anything he could say to improve the situation; he’d probably end up making things worse. He’d been told on more than one occasion that his approach tended to be on the more...aggressive side. It would be best if he left the consoling to someone like Mercedes or Flayn. Shaking his head, he resumed his promenade.

“Felix?”

He swore under his breath. Despite his discretion, his footfalls had apparently been enough to alert her of his presence. It would be too rude, even for him, to keep walking, so he begrudgingly turned to face her. Most of Annette was shielded behind her bedroom door, just her head peeking out as she stared at him. Instantly, he noticed the redness of her cheeks and the wetness around her eyes–a sure sign that she’d been crying and had attempted to cover it up. It made him feel even more uncomfortable.

“Sorry if I woke you,” he said, although knowing she’d been far from asleep.

Annette didn’t seem to take in his words, her gaze drifting downwards as her eyes widened. “Felix, you’re injured!”

Following her line of sight, he realized what had grabbed her attention. There was a noticeable rip in his shirt at waist level where he’d taken the brunt of the damage with the demonic beast. He hadn’t even bothered to clean himself up after the battle. “It’s nothing. Barely a scratch.”

She looked unconvinced, her eyes narrowing as she emerged from behind her door. “Don’t give me that. You should be in the infirmary!”

“And listen to Sylvain shamelessly flirt with Professor Manuela all night? I’d rather bleed out.”

Annette wasn’t having it. Crossing the distance between them, she stopped a few feet in front of him, her arms crossed over her middle with what she most likely believed was her most commanding glare. Instead, she was giving off a very non-intimidating pout. Not that he’d ever point that out to her–he’d seen firsthand the damage she could yield with an ax or even with her bare hands. “Well, if you won’t go to the infirmary, then I demand that you let me heal you myself. And I’m not taking no for an answer!”

From the way she was glowering at him, he knew she had no intention of backing down. He let out an exaggerated sigh. “Fine, let’s get this over with.”

It didn’t go unnoticed that she seemed pleased with herself, and he wondered if she believed that she’d successfully intimidated him. At her beckoning, he followed her towards her room, pausing slightly at the threshold to make sure that no one was watching them. While he knew Sylvain would be thrilled to be seen walking into a girl’s room late at night, but he didn’t care for the local rumor mill. And anyway, he’d much rather be in the privacy of his own room or the training grounds than be fussed over by his classmate.

Annette didn’t seem to notice his hesitation. Once inside, she took him by the arm and ushered him towards her bed where he was forced to take a seat. Settling in next to him, she placed a hand by his wound and he began to feel the familiar sensations of healing magic. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, which surprised Felix as he was used to the petite redhead being quite the chatterbox. He supposed that the concentration she needed for faith-based magic was too demanding. That was fine by him.

“This is taking longer than expected,” she eventually said with a frown. “How did you get this exactly?”

“One of the demonic beasts in the tomb,” he answered flatly.

Annette’s eyes widened. “The one you fought with Sylvain? And you didn’t think you needed to visit the infirmary? _Felix!_ ”

He rolled his eyes at her outrage. “I’m letting you take care of it now, aren’t I? So just drop it.”

From the look she gave him, Felix was sure that she had more to say, but thankfully she didn’t voice it. The sight of her brow furrowing and the pursing of her lips told him she was back to concentrating on her magic. As she worked, his mind wandered to the upcoming day–considering that evening’s turn of events, he would need to increase his training. No doubt if war broke out, his father would send for him soon. He needed to be prepared.

With his thoughts occupied, he wasn’t sure how long had passed before he noticed that even though there was no longer any magic coming from Annette, she hadn’t moved positions. It almost appeared like she was in some sort of trance, her eyes pointed at but not quite focused at a spot above his shoulder.

“Annette?”

The sound of his voice seemed to shake her out of her reverie. With a mumbled apology, she withdrew her hands from his side, folding them in her lap and chewing on her bottom lip as she stared at the sealed wound. He waited. “Nothing is going to ever go back to the way it used to be, is it?”

He could have lied to her. Told her that the church and the empire would find a way to settle things amicably, that a war wasn’t inevitable. But Annette was too smart to believe something as outlandish as that. And he respected her too much to lie to her. “No.”

With a sigh, she looked away from him, staring blankly at what seemed like nothing in the distance. Her voice was so small when she spoke again, he almost didn’t register it. “Felix...I’m scared.”

At her words, Felix felt something unfamiliar react in his gut. He didn’t quite understand it–the closest feeling he could compare it to was when he would sometimes witness Ingrid or Sylvain take a hit in battle, but it was still not the same. He shook his head slightly, as if to banish the errant train of thought from his mind.

Annette was oblivious to his confusion, still not quite looking at him as she continued speaking. “After we left the holy tomb, I holed myself up in here and just spent hours practicing my magic. Tried to teach myself new spells that I’ve been putting off learning, to distract myself. I figured it was some way to make myself useful, you know? But every time I screwed up, I would get so frustrated at myself. And the more frustrated I got, the more mistakes I made. I just feel so helpless, knowing there’s a war coming and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”

In his periphery, as he picked up on the slightest tremble of her lips, he was terrified that she might begin to cry. And while he rarely cared about how others perceived him, running out on a girl while she was in tears was a cruel enough move that didn’t want to entertain it. But Annette drew in a deep breath instead, steadying herself before turning back to face him. Her eyes looked watery, but she was forcing a smile, he realized for his sake. “I’m sorry, Felix. I didn’t mean to talk your ear off with such depressing things. You must be so annoyed with me right now.”

He didn’t quite know what to say to that. While most interactions with others, outside a select few of his confidants, tended to end in annoyance, he rarely felt himself feeling that way with Annette. Especially right now, when she was so vulnerable. Not that he could ever voice that aloud. If anything, he was annoyed with himself for not knowing what to say to ease her concerns, as valid as they were. Whenever he was tense, he would relieve that stress by challenging one of the monastery’s better fighters to a spar, but he doubted that would apply in her case.

So instead, all he offered her was a neutral grunt, his eyes swiveling unconsciously to the door of her room as he wondered if someone else might walk by that was better suited for the task. Annette must have misinterpreted the gesture as restlessness, as her eyes widened and she hopped to her feet. “Gosh, it’s so late! You better leave before you get in trouble–the Professor would be _so_ mad if she caught you in here.”

Before he could argue that the Professor most likely had much more pressing matters to deal with that evening, he was being pulled towards the doorway and shoved towards the monastery grounds. “Now make sure you get some sleep!” she told him in a hushed whisper. “And I better not catch you sparring tomorrow–you can afford to take _one_ day off.”

“I’ll take the morning off. That’s it.”

Annette rolled her eyes, but he could see the hint of a smile on her features, more genuine than before. “Good night, Felix.” She paused, wringing her hands together nervously before continuing. “And thank you for listening to me tonight. You can be sweet when you want to be.”

Before he could respond, she closed the door, leaving him standing alone and befuddled on her doorstep. Rather than promptly making his way to the second floor of the dormitories, he hovered in front of her room for a few moments, wrestling with the urge to knock and say something in parting. But like earlier, he couldn’t form whatever it was he wanted to express into words.

So instead, he began the march back to his room, suddenly a lot more confused than when the night had begun.

* * *

He hated being injured in battle. He hated having to be escorted off the field like a child or common villager. He hated being bedridden. Somehow, in the last twelve hours, he’d managed to suffer through all three.

Felix especially hated feeling useless when there was fighting that needed to be done, especially when in his absence his team sustained heavy losses. If only that damn ballista hadn’t torn right through his thigh, he could have been there when…

He shook the thought from his mind.

At the very least, he was in the comfort of the monastery infirmary and not some medic tent out in an on open field. More privacy that way. And despite Mercedes’ orders that he remain in his bed for at least two days, he planned to sneak out as soon as the opportunity presented itself. She was watching him like a hawk for now, but she would have to go to sleep, eventually.

Mercifully, he’d had no visitors since returning from Gronder Field, Sylvain and Ingrid knowing that he would rather be left alone, while the rest of his allies were too fearful to approach him. Through whispers, he’d heard that the boar had gone missing after the battle, which would keep the Professor and Gilbert away for the time being. It afforded him some much-desired privacy.

So when he heard footsteps approaching his cot, he hadn’t been expecting it to be anyone other than Mercedes or Flayn checking in on his condition. It surprised him then when he turned and saw another familiar face.

“Annette?” He made no effort to contain the surprise in his voice.

“Mercie asked me to check on you. She said your bandage needed to be re-applied, and she’s so overwhelmed with other patients right now.” Noticing the small basket of medical supplies in her hands, he gave her a curt nod which she took as permission to approach him.

There was an obvious nervousness once she reached his bedside. “What?”

Although he hadn’t meant it to come out as short as it did, she still flinched at his tone. “I just...need to reach the wound…”

That was what had her all worked up? What a strange girl. “Do what you need to do.”

She nodded, a little more sure of herself now as she bent down to lift the sheet, uncovering his right leg so she could get a better look at his injury. Although it was covered by the bandage, there was enough blood seeping through the fabric to give her an idea of the severity. A grimace crossed over her face. “I can’t believe you tried to keep fighting after getting hit like this. No wonder you almost passed out.”

Felix couldn’t suppress his scowl. Despite himself, he felt a warmth spread to his ears as he was reminded of his failures. “Who told you that?”

“Ingrid,” she answered as she found the start of his bandage, motioning for him to lift his leg so she could unravel it. He complied, wincing slightly as the negligible amount of effort sent a sharp pain through the right side of his body. Annette didn’t seem to notice. “She’s stationed outside to make sure you don’t try to slip away. She and Sylvain are planning to alternate their guard duty until Mercie gives you the all clear. ”

Damn, well, there went his plan. It seemed he’d be stuck here for longer than he wanted. Why couldn’t those two just mind their own business? He didn’t need to be coddled like a child just because he’d lost his father. They were fighting a war, after all.

Felix was spared from the pain of having to keep his leg levitated as Annette grabbed the spare pillow from the empty bed next to him, which she then placed under his ankle. He let out a small sigh of relief as he could relax his muscles, which was followed by a small giggle from Annette. “There, much better.”

He felt his face flush slightly as he realized that she’d heard him. Luckily, he was spared any further teasing as she kept working, removing the bandage fully from his leg before reaching down to grab a wet cloth from her stash of supplies. The rag was soothing as she worked it over his skin, cleaning out the dried blood that had gathered around the wound.

Although she mostly worked in silence, between cleaning his injury and applying ointment to his leg he heard her begin to hum under her breath. It made him realize that it had been awhile since he’d heard her sing, a favorite pastime of hers back when they were still at the academy. Although he tried to place it, the tune she was humming wasn’t one he recognized from those he’d overheard her in the past. “Is that a new one?”

She stilled, as if just realizing she wasn’t alone. A hint of a blush began to form on her cheeks, which only confused him. It wasn’t like this was the first time he’d caught her singing. Why did the simplest of things seem to rattle her so much? “It’s something I just started working on.”

“How does it go?”

For whatever reason, her embarrassment seemed to deepen at that. He didn’t get why being asked about her singing always flustered her so much, when she so clearly enjoyed it. “Um, if you don’t mind, I’m not ready to share it with anyone yet...”

He couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed at that, although he would never admit it aloud. Thankfully, she began to hum again, a little more loudly this time. It was soothing, distracting him momentarily from the pain in his leg and the day’s events.

Unfortunately, the humming came to an end when it was time for her to apply the new bandage which she took as an opportunity to engage him in conversation. Something he’d been hoping to avoid. “How are you doing, Felix?”

“Fine, the pain has mostly subsided,” he lied, hoping she would repeat that information to Mercedes, so he could get an earlier release.

“I didn’t mean your leg,” she whispered, the timbre of her voice dropping. “Have you had time to...process everything that happened?”

If it had been anyone else that asked him that question, he would have rebuffed with unabashed hostility. But had no desire to take a cruel tone with Annette, who he knew was coming from a kind place. Still, he was in no mood to delve further into this subject of conversation. “My old man and I weren’t exactly close. Your concern would be better directed towards the boar.”

 _He’s the one that got him killed_ , he added in his head. _Just like his parents got Glenn killed back in Duscur._

Thankfully, Annette knew better than to push him. “Well, I’m always here if you need someone to talk to. Or if you just want someone to keep you company while you brood in silence.” There was a teasing edge to her voice as she added that last part. He felt the corner of his mouth twitch slightly at her comment.

It didn’t take her much longer to finish wrapping the fresh bandage around his leg. She took a step back to admire her handiwork. “All done! Usually I’d tell you to make more of an effort to stay out of trouble, but I know you’re not going to listen to me anyway. So just try not to get hit in any vital organs, okay? That way Mercie has time to patch you up.”

Felix felt the start of a smile tugging on his lips again. After all these years, she knew him well. “I’ll try,” he said dryly. “Thanks for the help.”

It was comforting to see that there was a smile on her face as she headed out of the infirmary. Not long after he watched Annette leave, Mercedes peered her head around his privacy curtain. “And how are we over here? Do you need anything, Felix?”

“I’m fine. Don’t waste your time on me when you’re busy.”

She titled her head to the side. “What makes you say that? It’s been quiet here for a while now. I’ve been able to send most of the patients back to their rooms with superficial injuries.”

Felix frowned. Hadn’t Annette said something about Mercedes being overwhelmed when she first arrived? “Annette said you had so much to do that you asked for her help.”

“Oh, did she?” Mercedes asked, with an unnerving grin. He felt like he was missing out on a joke. “I remember it differently. She seemed quite eager to check up on you and practically yanked the bandages out of my hands.”

Her explanation only heightened his confusion. None of it made any sense. “Why on earth would she do that?”

She let out an exaggerated sigh. “Honestly, Felix, you can be so clueless sometimes. Just let me know if you need anything, alright?”

As she walked off, he considered calling her back, so she could further explain what she meant, but he restrained himself. What a strange interaction. He’d have to ask Annette the next time he saw her what that had been about.

* * *

No matter how many of Edelgard’s followers they killed, her army seemed to have an endless source of reinforcements at their disposal. Mages, swordsmen, brawlers came flooding from around corners and from deep within stairwells, hellbent on overwhelming the kingdom army through the sheer force of numbers. Felix couldn’t remember having been part of a battle this chaotic since Edelgard had taken Garreg Mach monastery by force with the imperial army. How the girl could amass so many followers to support her outlandish agenda, he would never understand. As much as he disagreed with the boar, they’d always seen eye to eye on the necessity to stop the overzealous young empress in her tracks, for the sake of the kingdom.

A goal which seemed to finally be in reach as they made their way through the imperial palace, towards the throne room where they knew their former classmate was making her last stand. Even though the Professor had stressed before entering battle that they needed to stick to their formation, in anticipation of the overwhelming numbers that they were sure to face once inside, they’d quickly found themselves broken off into too-small groups. As Felix sliced through the many enemies that entered his path, the only familiar faces that remain in his periphery are those of Sylvain and Ashe, who appear to be working together to defeat one of Edelgard’s demonic beasts. For his part, he’d been alternating between his sword and his limited cache of dark magic to take down some slower-moving members of the opposing army. Although high in number, most of his foes were on the weaker side, barely providing him with a challenge. It was almost disappointing.

He could hear the Professor and the boar shouting orders from deeper within the palace, which suggested that they were drawing nearer to the throne room. Itching to be there when they finally stormed Edelgard’s hiding place, his movements became sloppier as he pushed forward, desperate to finally put an end to this battle.

It was just as he was pulling his sword from the chest of a freshly defeated mage that he registered the tail end of a warning cry aimed his way. “Felix! Behind you!”

He didn’t even have time to spin around and register his attacker, let alone dodge the blade of the ax being hurled towards him. An arrow flew through the air, piercing the head of his assailant just a second too late. The force of the blow knocked him off his feet, his vision clouding as the back of his head hit the ground with a powerful thud. Pain radiated through his side as he attempted to stand back up, an unfamiliar panic setting in as he realized he could not. Within seconds, his world faded to black.

When Felix came to, the first thing he noticed was the dull ache that emanated throughout his entire right side, tail-ended by a heavy pressure against his thigh. Slowly opening his eyes, it was a struggle to take in his surroundings, the sun having long set. The only source of light was a low lantern a few feet away, illuminating what he soon realized was the medic tent they had set up before storming Enbarr. Turning his head to the side, he could make out a bunch of cots housing his fellow injured soldiers. From the dark and silence that permeated the makeshift infirmary, he assumed that the battle had long ended. That he was still alive suggested they’d been victorious.

He attempted to lift himself onto his elbows, a jolt of pain running throughout his body just as he noticed a figure near the end of his bed. Although it was hard to make her out in the darkness, the vibrant flow of red hair meant that it could only possibly be Annette. Perched on a chair next to his cot, she appeared to have fallen asleep hunched over with her head resting on her arms. He could feel some of her weight against his calf, her face hidden from view. His movements as he tried to sit up, however subtle, caused her to stir.

“Hmm?” she mumbled, turning in his direction as her eyes fluttered open. As her gaze adjusted to the darkness, recognition flashed across her face. Before he could ask her what she was doing in the medic tent when she was seemingly uninjured, she’d somehow traversed the short distance between them, throwing her arms around his neck.

“Felix!” she said in a hushed whisper, mindful of those asleep around them. “You’re awake.” He said nothing as she drew away from him, stunned into silence by her brazen display of physical contact. “I was so worried about you.”’

“What happened?” he asked, his voice groggier than he’d expected.

“You took an ax to the gut,” she explained. “Sylvain carried you out of the palace when he saw you get hit. We weren’t sure...there was so much blood...”

Felix registered the way her voice dropped and her lip trembled when she added that last part, but wasn’t sure what to make of it. “How long?”

She hesitated before answering. “Three days.”

Once again, he was stunned into silence. Despite the pain he felt throughout his body and the general weakness he felt (which he now realized was most likely the result of blood loss), he’d been expecting her to tell him he’d only been out for a few hours. Maybe half a day at most. But in reality, he’d been unconscious for nearly half a week, lying there useless as his friends and former classmates were ending a war.

Now that Annette was closer, he could more clearly see how tired she was by the dark circles that framed her eyes. He also realized that she was wearing the same outfit he remembered her having when they set off the morning of battle, although she’d discarded some of her heavier layers. “Have you...have you been here this whole time?”

She straightened her back at his question, chewing on her lip. “Someone needed to keep an eye on you. The healers are all pretty swamped. It wasn’t just our army that sustained injuries, but a lot of the civilians that were caught in the crossfire.”

He resisted the urge to chastise her for wasting her time on him, knowing it would be futile. That girl never relented once she had an objective in mind. “What about the imperial army?”

Her eyes seemed to glimmer as she smiled. “It’s over. His Highness and the Professor defeated Edelgard. The rest of the empire surrendered. The war’s finally over, Felix.”

While he knew the emotion Annette was probably trying to elicit from him was relief or happiness, all he felt was his growing frustration that he’d gotten so close to witnessing the end of the war, only to be kept from relishing their victory in its final moments. Leaning back against his pillow, he scowled at the ceiling. “I just wish I could have been there when the boar finally ended things. What a shame that–”

“Enough!” Annette half-shouted, her previous concern for those around them having apparently subsided. He turned to look at her, his eyes widening at her outburst. “You almost got yourself _killed_ because you’re so stupid just always charging into the frontline with no sense of self-preservation. And still, all you can think about is how you missed out on even more fighting? Can’t you just for once think about all the people that would miss you if you _died_?”

Stunned, he had a difficult time formulating a response. He’d never seen Annette this upset, at least not since she had lashed out at him about eavesdropping on her singing back when they were still in the academy. But even that paled compared to the sheer fury that was radiating off of her at the moment, her eyes narrowed and her face red with anger. She was practically seething as she chewed him out. Just like with all of her previous outbursts, he couldn’t comprehend what he had done to earn her ire.

“There are sacrifices to be made in war, Annette,” he replied evenly, his voice low, a sharp contrast to hers. “My brother knew that. So did my father. They both gave up their lives doing what they believed best for the Kingdom. Why should I hold myself to a lower standard? It’s my duty.”

“There’s more to life than duty, Felix. Look at what an obsession with duty did to my father.” She sighed, looking away from him as she continued, thankfully quieter than her previous shrieking. “And I’m not asking you to stop fighting, just to show some consideration for those that care about you and want you to stay alive.”

“The boar knows better than any of us the price that comes with war. And Sylvain and Ingrid have sworn similar oaths of fealty to the throne. They’d understand.” The three of them knew each time they went into battle, that there was a chance that they wouldn’t all come out alive. It was only through sheer luck that they’d all made it through the war relatively unscathed.

Her brow furrowed. “I’m not talking about them,” she mumbled.

“Then who–”

“Do you really need to make me say it?” She dropped her head into her hands, but he could still see the beginning of a blush blooming along her neck.

“You’re shouting again.”

“Only because you’re too dense to get what I’m trying to say otherwise!”

“I still have no idea what you’re saying.”

“Ugh, you’re so clueless, Felix!”

 _Clueless_. He remembered Mercedes using that word to describe him the last time Annette had sat at his bedside, tending to the wound he’d suffered at the battlefield that claimed his father’s life. Those in his life seemed adamant on accusing him of being unable to pick up on things that were supposedly obvious, but no one had been able to explain to him what exactly he was missing out on.

Before he could ask her to elaborate, she launched herself at him for the second time that night. It took him a moment to realize what was happening as her hands cupped his face, his eyes closing instinctually as she drew closer.

All he registered after that was _soft_. Annette’s lips and her hands were soft, softer than anything he’d ever felt before. While he had never thought about kissing Annette before, or kissing anyone for that matter, now that he knew what it felt like it would probably never leave his thoughts. The tickle of her hair against his cheeks, the smell of her, somehow still sweet despite the days she’d spent at his bedside, the press of her body against his–all of his senses were being overwhelmed by Annette and he suddenly couldn’t imagine himself any other way.

It was over all too quickly. “I’m so sorry,” she sputtered, pulling away from him as if burned. “I-I don’t know what got into me! I haven’t gotten much sleep and–”

It was his turn to interrupt her this time as he reclaimed the distance between them. His fingers curled around the back of her neck, pulling her towards him so he could feel the softness of her lips pressed against his once again. Her squeak of surprise was swallowed by his mouth, her hands reaching up between the narrow space of their bodies to find purchase in his chest, her fingers curling into his shirt.

When they separated once more, the first thing he noticed was the crimson tinge on her cheeks, so deep it almost matched her hair. He reached out to run his knuckles gently along her skin, leaning in close enough that their foreheads almost touched. “I promise.”

“Hmm?” she asked, her focus having yet to return.

“I promise,” he repeated softly, “that I’ll _try_ not to die.”

The corners of her lips twitched into a soft smile, but she said nothing. One of her hands found his and threaded their fingers together against his sheets. “Do you remember that new song I was working on?” He nodded. “Would you...would you like to hear it now?”

It was his turn to smile at the promise of Annette’s gentle voice, bright and beautiful as she sang for him and him alone. The first of what he hoped would be many more moments like this. 

Art by [smallestbrown](https://twitter.com/smallestbrown)


End file.
